Extra Patrols Will Crack Down On Unsecured Loads In Washington

OLYMPIA, WA — Several state agencies are teaming up for a new anti-littering campaign that will put extra officers out on patrol in an effort to crack down on unsecured vehicle loads in Washington.

The "We Keep Washington Litter Free" campaign is being spearheaded by the Washington Department of Ecology with assistance from the Washington State Patrol, the Washington State Department of Transportation and the Washington Traffic Safety Commission. For the next five weeks, those four state agencies will be spreading the word and asking drivers to secure their vehicle loads.

Washington State Patrol says that debris on Washington highways causes 300 traffic accidents and 30 injuries every single year.

“Every year, road debris contributes to an average of nearly 90,000 property-related crashes on U.S. roadways. More than 17,000 people are injured from those crashes and over 700 are fatal,” said Sgt. Darren Wright, a public information officer with the Washington State Patrol. "These crashes are entirely preventable and the power to stop them is in the hands of Washington drivers.”

As part of the campaign, WSP will have extra troopers out on the roads for four weekends starting May 28. During that time, they'll be instructed to keep an extra eye out on any drivers who have not secured their loads as required by state law.

WSP warns that fines from littering and unsecured loans can range from $50 to $5,000— and if something falls off a vehicle and hurts someone or causes property damage, the vehicle's owner could even end up in jail with a gross misdemeanor.

“We are asking drivers to secure their vehicle loads to save lives,” said Sgt. Wright. “All Washingtonians can make a difference by talking to their friends and loved ones about the risks of driving with an unsecured load.”

WSP is also reminding drivers to call 911 if they see another car with a dangerous unsecured load, or if they see something fall from a car and onto the highway.

On top of making our roads safer, securing a vehicle's load also helps protect the environment. The Washington Department of Ecology says its agents collected more than 4.5 million pounds of litter and cleaned nearly 22,000 miles of road across the state in 2020 alone.

"That’s a lot, but it’s just a fraction of the total amount of litter that accumulates each year,” said Amber Smith, statewide litter prevention coordinator at Ecology. “Litter isn’t just ugly. It’s dangerous. Some litter contains harmful chemicals or causes physical injuries to wildlife, as well as people.”

Though the We Keep Washington Litter Free campaign is primarily focusing on unsecured loads right now, organizers say they have plans to focus on other forms of littering in the near future. The unsecured load campaign will run through the end of June.